Wheeled vehicle



Aug. 8, 1933. L, w, WOLFE 1,921,597

WHEELED VEHICLE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 s Sheds-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR. Leonard William Wolfe & a, ym iqcwc/ A TTORNEYS Aug. 8, 1933. w WOLFE v 1,921,597

WHEELED VEHICLE Filed. Jan. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N V EN TOR.

Ml/iam Info/f2 ATTORNEY5 Aug. 8, 1933. w WOLFE 1,921,597

WHEELED VEHI CLE Filed Jan. 24, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 3' l N VEN TOR.

I Leonard M/liam Wolfe A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8,

UNITED STATES PAT IC j 1 j I WHEELED Vernon:

invention relates ticularly to the frame bodies, and the running by mesne assignment pany, Berea, Ohio, 2!.

Application January 24,

8 Claims.

to wheeled vehicles, parconstruction of vehicle gear. I

The invention hereinafter disclosed is applicable to numerous uses but I have chosen to show and describe it as applied to the construction of.

vehicles of the class commonly referred to as manure Spreaders.

It is one of the obje cts of this invention to provide a frame construction for vehicles which will be simple and che strong and durable in u ap to manufacture and se.

maximum of strength f terial.

or the minimum of ma- Another object is to provide a frameiiconstruction for vehicles. having improved means to facilitate the movement 0 ground without deforming or deterioratin l'rame.

Another object is to the class, employing ra )3 the vehicle over rough provide, in a vehicle of dius rods from the veds to the axle and to the body. l Another object is to provide a frame construction for supporting an body and associated in a d reinforcing a vehicle n improved manner with a front axle construction of the non-pivoting or wheel-steering type.

Another object is to provide, in a vehicle frame construction of the type comprising generally a body portion and a front axle construction of the side-to-side rocking type, an improved means for connecting the body front axle construction.

portion with the Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my My invention is fully i-ng description taken in Fig. 2 is a top plan vi 1 with parts thereof broken away for the sake of clearness;

invention appertains. disclosed in the followconnection with the acs, of. a

ew 'of the vehicle of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the vehicle of Figs. 1 and 2, and parts in section for Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view to an enlar scale taken from the plane 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional vi 5 of-Fig- .3.

with parts broken away clearness;

ged

ew taken from the plane s, to The Dunham Com- Corporation of Ohio 1931. SerialNo. 510,947 (01. 280-) Referring to the drawings, 1' have shown at 1-1 a pair of longitudinally extending bodyv sills, preferably formed from angle iron. The sills 1 are spaced apart .as shown in Fig. 2 and define the bottom of the bed of the vehicle of "which, they form a part and are disposed with one leg of the-angle 2 extending inwardly horizontally, andthe other leg 3 extending vertically. Adjacent their rear ends, the sills 1 are supported upon a rear wheel axle 4 which in turn is supported by a pair of rear ground wheels 5-5.

The structural means for supporting the sills '1- -1'on the wheels 55 forms no essential; part In the drawings Ihaveshown of my invention. depending plates 81-81 riveted or bolted'to the sills l-;1.and'intheirlowerends carrying the axle 4, upon which the wheels 5-5 are rotatably mounted. At their forward ends, the sills 1-1 are supported on a front ax which will now be described. v

The front axle proper'co nprises a pair or: transversely disposed spaced parallel'channels 6,6 in the outer ends of which are bolted caste A bar 12preferably formed from channel iron le construction ings 7 '7 supporting on vertical axes of rotais bolted or rivetedat its ends, Fig. 3, to-the horizontal legs 22 of thesills 1 -1, resting;

thereupon and extending transversely from one sill to the other.

Another pieceof channel iron.

bent into the form of a'truss, 13, generally of},

wide U-shape openlupwardly, is bolted orriveted at the ends of the U-legs to the under sides of; the horizontal flanges 2--2 of the angle iron sills substantially directlyv under the bar. 12, and the closed end of the truss l13 extends down- Wardly between the channels 6-6 of the front axle. A'robker head 14, preferably a casting,

bolted to the truss 13. on a portion thereof between the channels 6-6. The head 14 is bored to receive abushing l5, the axis of which is disposed substantially horizontally and midway between the sills 11 and a bolt 16 is projected through suitable perforations in the webs 17-17 'of the channels -66 and through the bore of the bushing 15. Preferably the chain nels 6-6 are, disposed with their webs-1717 generally vertical and facing each other so that I 24 and of the axle channels 6. plate 23 extends rearwardly of the front axle permits the front axle to rock around the axis of the bolt 16 when the wheels 10-10 encounter rough ground or obstacles on the ground in a well known manner. 1

To maintain "the front axle. disposed transversely of the sills 1-1, depending guides 18-18, preferably formed from channel iron, are secured to the forward ends of the sills 1-1 and to other portions of the body to be referred to, and extend below the sills 1-1 between the channels 6-6 of the front axle and are of such size as to substantially fill the space between the channels 6-6, Fig. 2. Braces 19 are secured to the legs of the truss 13 and to the guides 18 as shown in Fig. 3.

Substantially at the middle, transversely, of the axle channels 6-6, the channels have riveted or bolted thereto a top plate 20 seated upon the forwardly and r arwardly directed flanges 21 and 22 of the channels, and a bottom plate 23 secured to and seated upon the corresponding forwardly and rearwardly directed flanges The bottom and is-provided with a pair of spaced perforations 26-26 for a purpose to be described. Both of the plates 20 and 23 project forwardly from the axle channels 6-6 and in vertically aligned of the angle pieces 29.

perforations support a king pin 27. I

Mounted to swing on the vertical axis of the king pin 27 is a clevis construction for supporting the tongue 23 by which the vehicle may be propelled. The clevis construction comprises a pair of forwardly and rearwardly extending angle pieces 29-29 connected together at their rear- Ward ends by a transverse piece 30 secured to horizontal flanges of the angle pieces '29 and by a transverse piece 31 vertically spaced from the piece 30 and secured to the vertical flanges of the angle pieces 29. The forward ends of the angle pieces 29 are connected together by a transverse piece 32 connected to the horizontal flanges The tongue 28 ispivoted on a horizontal transverse bolt 33 projected through perforations in the vertical flanges of the angle pieces 29. Straps 34-34 are pivoted at one end to the transverse piece 32 as at 35 approximately at the middle thereof, and at their other ends are pivotally connected as at 36-36 to steel extensions 37-37 of the arms 11. By this construction, the tongue 28 may have vertical oscillatory movement around the bolt 33, and upon movement of the tongue 28 laterally, the angle pieces 29-29 will move with it,

. oscillating around the king pin 27, and this movement will be transmitted through the straps 34-34 to oscillate the wheels 10-10 on their vertical stub axles 9-9 to effect steering of the vehicle in a manner well known in the art.

By means of the plates 20 and 23, a very rigid front axle constructionais effected, the two channels 6-6 being braced by the plates, and the draft load applied to propel the vehicle is transmitted equally to the two channels of the axle construction and at substantially the middle thereof.

To further brace the sills 1-1 and to provide suitable supports for a bottom and for sides of the vehicle, transverse. sills and vertical stanchion elements are provided as follows. Transverse sills 40 41, 42 and 43, preferably formed from angle iron, are disposed below, transversely of and secured to the sills 1-1 as by bolts or rivets 44, 45, 46 and 47 respectively, one flange of the angle lying flat against the horizontal flange 2 of the sills, and the other flange of the angle depending'vertically. stanchion elements 48, 49, 50 and 51 extend upwardly from the sills l-l, being bolted thereto by bolts 52, 53, 54 and 55, andthe stanchion elements depend from the sills 1 sufficiently to overlap and be secured to the transverse sills 40 to 43 inclusive by bolts or rivets 56, 57, 58Yand 59 respectively. The stanchion elements 48 to 51 may be formed from angle iron or may be formed from flat bars of iron or steel. Both forms are shown in the drawings, the stanchion elements 48 to 50 inclusive being'fcrmed from angle iron and the stanchion element 51 from a bar. In the case of the angle-form stanchion elements, the front leg of the angle lies flat against the outer surface of the vertical leg 3 of the sill 1 and is bolted or riveted thereto as above described, and the other leg of the angle projects outwardly laterally, and 111 this leg is bolted to the downwardly extending leg of the transverse sill by the bolts 56, 57 or 58 above referred to. In the case of flat bar stanchion elements such as the element 51, it is preferably laid flat against the outer surface of the vertical leg 3 of the sill 1 and bolted thereto as by the bolt and to tie it to the transverse sill 43, a small section of angle iron 60, Fig. 2, is placed with one leg extending forwardly and rearwardly, and the other leg transversely inwardly, and the two legs of the angle section 60 are bolted as at 59 and 62, respectively, to the vertical leg of the transverse sill 43 and to the stanchion element 51.

The stanchion elements 48 to 51 thus preferably. depend from the sills '1-1 sufficiently to overlap and engage the transverse sills 44 to 47 inclusive, and the stanchion element 49 preferably depends farther than the other stanchion elements, and the forwardly and rearwardly extending leg of the angle is provided with a perforation 63. A pair of draft bars 64-64 preferably formed from' round rod with the ends thereof bent transversely to the axis of the rod to form hooks on the ends thereof are secured at oneend inthe perforation 63 just described and at the other end in the perforations 26 hereinbefore described which are provided in the inner end of the plate 23 on the front axle. The hook portion on the forward end of the rod 64 is bent downwardly as at 65 and hook portion on the rearward end of the rod is bent outwardly laterally as at 66, and after these hook portions have been inserted respectively through the perforations 26 and 63, they may be retained therein by cotter-pins or the like a of the vehicle and being disposed close together at their forward ends do not interfere with the side-to-side rocking movement of the axle.

' The stanchion elements 48 etc. may be braced to prevent their being bent or displaced lateral ly by braces 69-69. Such braces are illustrat-- ed as associated with the stanchion elements 49 and 50 and may be associated with the other stanchion elements if desired. The braces 69 are extendedoutwardly laterally beyond the main sills 1-1 sufficiently to form a suitable triangle composed .of the stanchion elements, the end of the transverse sill and the brace 69 whereby to effect a rigid bracingofthe stanchion elements with the minimum of material.

The type of stanchion element 51 and its con: nection with the transverse sill 43 may be employed, as in the case of a manure spreader mechanism, where it is desired to have moving parts of the spreader mechanism disposed, close- 1y adjacent to the sideof the vehicle body.- In such cases, the laterally projecting leg of an angle bar and the laterally extending end oflthe transverse sill, provided in the cases of the stanchion elements49 and 50, are omitted. The type of stanchion bar illustrated at 49 is employed when it is desired to provide both a brace. 6.9.and an anchoring point for the draft. bar

1 64. The type of stanchion element shown at 50 is employed when it is-desired only to provide the brace 69, and the type of stanchion element shown at 48 is provided when it is not desired either to brace it as with a brace. 69 or toprovide an anchor for a radius rod.

The side proper of thevehicle body may,v be.

constructed from boards of wood,72--7-2 which may be bolted to the stanchion elements 48 to 51 inclusive as by bolts '73-73. ,The boards 72 may lie fiat against the inside surface of the forwardly and rearwardly extending legs of the angles of the stanchion elements 48 to 50 and against the inner face of the stanchion element 51, and the lower board 74 may rest upon the upper edge of the vertical leg 3 of the sill 1,

While I have shown stanchions 48 to 51 inclusive disposed vertically, stanchions which slope or curve upwardly, that is, which extendgenerally upwardly may be employed if preferred.

The upwardly extending portions of the guides 18 may also be bolted tothe boards '72 as at '75 "and to the sills l as at '76 and thus perform. some of the functions of a stanchion, as well as the functions of a .guide as hereinbefore described. A bedor bottom proper of th'evehicle may be provided by boards 777 7, Fig. 2, resting upon the horizontal flanges of'the angleform transverse sills 40 to 43 inclusive and bolted thereto as at '78'78.

The depending guides 18-18, besides performing the function of maintaining thefront axle disposed transversely of the sills 11, that is, preventing the front axle from rotating around a vertical medial axis, may also per form the function of preventing the front. axle from rotating around a horizontal transverse P axis, as for example whenthe wheels encounter rough ground. However, the reaction of the guides 1818 upon the channels 6 -6 between which they lie, on occasions when theaxle' reacts to ground obstacles as mentioned, tendsto pry the channels6-6 apart. To resist this reaction and prevent spreading of the axle and channels. 66',-t he channels are tied together,

and rigidly spacedapartby' spacers .85, in

the: form of short sections of steel tubing' or" pipe placed between the webs. oflthe channels,

and 'aibolt 86 projected throughthe spacers 85 and through suitable perforations inthe .webs

of the channels.. When nuts 8'71on thebolts are drawn up tight, the channels are clamped rigidly on the ends of the spacers 85,. To have the maximumefiectiveness, the spacers 85 are] disposed closely adjacent-to the guides 18'18v as shown. in the drawings, Fig. 3, and'the braces 19 l9 are, connected to the guides 18 adjacent the lower ends of the guides and spaced from the spacers .85 :to permit rocking of. the

front axle without fouling of the braces 19*on the spacers 85.. The spacers 85 are thus disposed in the triangle formed by the guides 18, truss 13 and brace 19. a j The otherparts of the. vehicle, .such as a forward end to the body'and a 'drivers seat etc.,

and'in the case of'a manurespreader to which my inventionis particularly applicable, the" other parts not shown of the spreading mechae nism may be of any 'knownor suitableform'and,

do'not form an essential partof my invention,

and for this reason, and to simplify the draw ings, have been omitted. Such'mechanism may.

be driven from the sprocketwheel 80 on the rear wheel axle4, and anysuitable clutch means between the ground wheel 5 and the sp rock'et wheel 80 may. be provided.

I claim: u

1. In a vehicle,

a body, a front axlesupporting the body, a rearwardly extending bracket secured to a middle portion of the-axle, a pair of .draft bars s'ecured at their, forward. ends to the bracket and, extending rearwardly and flat- F ,erally therefrom, apa'ir of generally vertically disposed body reinforcingstanchion elements, secured to the body and having portions projecting below the body, connected to the rearward ends of the draft bars. Y

2. In a vehicle, a body, a front axle supporting the body, a rearwardly extending bracket .se-

cured to a middle portion of the 'axle,, a pair.

of adjacent perforations in the bracket, a pair of draft bars having hook portions on their-1 25,

forward ends projected through the perforations and extending rearwardly and laterally therefrom, the body, comprising a longitudinal sill, a transverse; sill secured thereto transverselythereof and a pair of generally verticalbody reinforcing stanchionlelements secured to the body and to both sillsand having end portions projecting therebelow, and the other ends of the draft bars being secured 'to said portions of the stanchion elements. a 3. In a vehicle, a body, a front axle supporting the body and comprising a pair of transverse axle channels disposed'with. their webs back to back and. spaced apart, a plate having a for-1 f i wardly extending portionsecured to the upper flanges of the channels, a second plate having forwardly and rearwardly extending portions secured to thelower flanges of the channels, a Y

vertically disposed. pin on the forwardly 'ex-' tending portions of the plates, a vehicletongue pivoted on the pin, a pair of adjacent perfora- 'tions in the rearwardly extending portion of the lower plate, a pair of rearwardly divergent draft bars having hook portions in theperforations, the body, 3 comprising a pair of longitudinal sills, a transverse sill connected 4 thereto, a pair of vertically disposed body reinforcing stanchion elementssecured to the'body and each connected at alower' end portion to the forwardly extending portions of both plates,

a pair of adjacent perforations in the rearwardly extending. portion of the lower plate, a pair of draft bars secured at their forward ends in the said perforations and diverging rearwardly therefrom. I

5. In a vehicle, a body, a front axle comprising a pair of transverse axle channels disposed with their webs back to back and spaced apart, a truss element generally of U-shape depending from a forward portion of the body, and extend ing between the channels, a rocker head secured to the closed end of the U-shape truss element and provided with a forwardly and rearwardly extending bore, and a pin in the bore extending through perforations in the channel webs to support the body on the axle channels and to permit lateral rocking of the channels relative to the body.

6. In a vehicle, a front axle construction, a plate having a forwardly extending portion'secured to the axle, a second plate having a for Wardly and rearwardly extending portion securedto the axle, the two plates being spaced apart vertically, a generally vertically'disposed pin in the forwardly extending portions of the plates, a pair of laterally spaced adjacent perforations in the secondplate, and a pair of draft bars secured at their forward ends to the rear wardly extending portion of the corresponding plate by hook portions thereof in the perforations, and diverging rearwardly therefrom;

'7. In. a vehicle, a body, a front axle supporting the body and comprising a pair ofYtransverse axle channels disposed with their webs back to back, a pair of spacer elements between the axlechannels rigidly secured thereto, to predeterminedly space them apart a substantial and guiding lateral rocking movement of the" axle relative to the body and preventing relative oscillation of the axle on a vertical axis.

8. In a vehicle,a body, a front axle supporting the body and comprising a pair of transverse axle channels, disposed with their webs back to back, a pair of spacer elements between the axle channels rigidly secured thereto, to predeterminedly space them apart a substantial distance, a pair of guide elements rigidly secured to the body and extending downwardly therefrom through the space between the axle channels, substantially filling the space therebetween and disposed adjacentjto said spacerelements andguiding lateral rocking movement of Y the axle relative'to the body and preventing relative oscillation of the axle on a vertical axis, a truss element generally U-shaped depending from a forward portion of the body and extending downwardly between the channels, and apair of braces, each-secured at one end tothe truss element and at the other end to a portion of a guide element extending below the axle and under the said spacer elements LEONARD WILLIAM WOLFE. 

